Comment (website feature)

A comment is a message that is posted on a project, studio or profile page. Users can also reply to comments; replies are only one level deep, but a user can choose to reply to any specific comment in a reply chain. Comments are automatically prefaced with @username to indicate whom they are meant for. Comments can be deleted by the Scratch Team or the project owner, and are automatically removed when reported inappropriate by two or more users. However, there are checks in place to ensure the two reports are from two separate users.[1] As of January 20th, 2019, there are around 185 million comments.[2]

The box that comments are left in.

Contents

Use

Comments are used mainly to give feedback and constructive criticism on projects and studios. They are also used to message, notify, ask questions, and have a conversation with scratchers. Comments are the primary mode of communication on the Scratch website.

Notifications

When a comment is posted, a message is sent to the owner of the project or profile. Users are also notified when their comments are replied to. Example: Someone commented on a project, the owner got the message saying that comment. When the owner replies, that someone gets a message that the owner replied.

Emoticons

Emojis are features in comments which allow one to create specific images, by typing an underscore, the name of the image, followed by another underscore. The images which can be created in comments include Scratch Cat (_meow_) and Gobo (_gobo_). For more information about emojis, see Scratch Emojis.

Other Emoticon Suggestions

Many other suggestions for emoticons have been made.[3] Here are some of the popular ones:

Restrictions

A comment can not have 10 or 11 digits in a row to prevent the sharing of phone numbers.

A comment cannot be posted if the user recently made three similar comments.

Comments must be appropriate: a censor prevents swearing and offensive language. A "Report" option is listed next to the "Reply" button, with which users may report disrespectful comments and spam. If the comment is censored, the user may be muted for the day.[6]

Constructive Criticism

Constructive criticism is advice that is given to someone which is useful and intended to help or improve something. The Scratch Team encourages Scratchers to leave constructive criticism in comments on others' projects, rather than mean, unhelpful, or spam criticism. Good constructive criticism usually points out a project's strengths, then gives ideas for future improvement.